Heart of a Snake (SGE fanfic)
by Chocolatemilk30
Summary: [Fanfiction; events after Quests for Glory - SPOILER ALERT!] In the wake of Rhian's final confession, events are shattered and twisted into a new fairytale as Agatha and Sophie face new deadly challenges.


_**Prologue: False Queen**_

There were shards of ice splintering in Sophie's heart.

She stood before Rhian in a glittering, white gown, a tremulous smile plastered on her face as she took in his own grin, sharp and cool with suppressed mirth. As he surveyed her wedding dress, stepping forwards and holding out a hand in invitation, one thought pounded through her mind continuously: it was all a lie.

"Now this looks like Camelot's true, proper princess," the king said, his deep, blue green eyes gleaming. "Looking back at that bug-eyed girl, I can't imagine why the people accepted her as the queen."

White hot rage stabbed through her, but at the sight of Excalibur clenched tight in Rhian's right hand, a hollow resignation slipped through Sophie's anger. She stepped forwards silently and took his hand, wondering why she had never noticed how ice cold it was. "No witty comment?" Rhian asked breezily, his cool tone sending a shiver slipping down her spine.

"Not today," she forced out, and both of them smiled tightly as she pulled away from him. "I'll be going, then - "

"Not so fast," said Rhian, and before she could blink, he pulled her forwards and dipped his head, enveloping her in a silky smooth kiss. And yet, instead of exhilaration, she felt fear - fear that lingered even when he finally pulled away.

"I really have to go to the bathroom," Sophie said tightly, and wrenched away from him.

She hurried out of the dusty room and was at the doorway when Rhian called, his voice ringing with barely concealed amusement. "Are you all right, my love? You seem rather distracted."

 _Oh, I've been distracted. Distracted from trying to find a way to go down to the dungeons without one of your blasted pirates following me. Distracted from trying to find Aggie, who's vanished without a trace. Distracted from trying to understand how everything turned into such a mess so quickly - and how you ended up as Camelot's king!_

"Just.. tired," she replied, feeling sweat drip down her back. "Really, it's been exhausting planning our wedding so suddenly after - after the.. impromptu coronation."

Sophie lifted her eyes to look at Rhian's face, and almost recoiled as he lifted his lips in a warm smile. A lifetime ago, she would have melted into his stare - but the echoes of _KING RHIAN_ shattered any feelings resting inside of her. "Of course. I know it's a lot to take in," he agreed, dismissing her with a wave. She didn't bother replying, hurrying out of the room as quickly as she could.

For the past day, it'd been like that, with Sophie tiptoeing around Rhian as nervously as if he was a ticking bomb about to detonate. With his own coronation, he'd toppled the Tedros as king and claimed her as the queen. Even when Sophie slunk into a dirty bed, gripping the covers, she could still feel the phantom press of Excalibur against her back, daring her to make a move. There was no sword to her back now, but the threat was there all the same.

She buried her head in her hands as she sank onto her bed, before her fingers instinctively wrapped around the gold vial still hanging around her neck. It was the only thing they hadn't stripped from her when she was forced into the wedding dress, something she clung tightly to - even as she knew all the quests were a dark red. All of them but Rhian's.

They had won against the Snake.. And they had lost against the Lion.

Tears stung her eyes and bitterness coated her heart as she clenched onto it tighter, wishing above all else she was back in the School for Evil, hosting a party with starstruck Nevers gazing up at her. This was what had come from her wishing to be a princess. This was what had come from her thinking she could be a knight's lady. The only person Rhian was ever interested in was himself.

A traitorous thought slipped into her mind for only a moment as she sat there, her face damp with tears. It's true. He's already been a better King than Tedros ever was. And he - he loves you - at least he says he does. Then the thought crumpled up, vanishing from the weight of the true facts - facts that gnawed at her unrelentingly even as she covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.

She had Rhian by her side, but she was alone more than ever, trapped in Camelot - no, just like, Tedros, his mother, Merlin, and countless others.. only they were in the dungeons, waiting to be executed soon. Agatha had been missing all night, and Sophie wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or even more worried. Her fingertip glowed pink as she wiped her tears away, knowing scims had to be lurking in every corner.

Sophie still hadn't caught a glimpse of the false Snake's face - but it didn't matter. He'd vanished into Camelot after the coronation of Rhian, the people still believing that he'd been finished off and killed. Another Lie Rhian had fed to everyone in the Endless Woods.

Just like everything else.

But it didn't matter what Rhian said now. Everything had flipped, and with the adoration of all of Good and Evil, clamoring for their King - _the Snake now a Lion, Lies twisted into Truths_ \- Camelot was his. The world was his.

Sophie sank deeper into the blankets, shaking with shuddering sobs. It was more than fear of knowing her friends' soon to be fates. It was more than being terrified of where Agatha was now. It was the fact that another possibility of a happy ending - living side by side with a knight of Camelot peacefully - had been thrusted in front of her face and snatched cruelly away, leaving her with a hollow mockery of what Tedros and Agatha's life should have been.

Even the cheers washing over Sophie during the coronation hadn't done anything for the emptiness inside of her.

She felt her eyes slide shut in exhaustion, and dimly, she wondered if she should change out of the wedding dress. But everything seemed far away, distant - and Sophie drifted slowly off to sleep, a last, lingering thought seizing her mind -

 _Agatha, where are you?_


End file.
